Isaiah Mobley Sees Something Different In Evan Mobley’s Eyes Going Into Third Year With Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers two-way forward Isaiah Mobley believes that his brother-teammate Evan Mobley is extra locked in for Year 3.

As the Cleveland Cavaliers start their second week of training camp and prepare to open the preseason on the road against the Atlanta Hawks, Evan Mobley’s improvements on the floor have been garnering rave reviews left and right.

From Mobley himself revealing that he invested in a gym at home to bulk up and hired a personal chef to help his dieting habits, to Tristan Thompson saying he’s blossomed from a “young Chris Bosh to a young Anthony Davis,” big things appear to be in store for the lengthy big man in Year 3.

Maybe the most telling endorsement comes from Cavs two-way contract forward Isaiah Mobley, who just so happens to be Evan's brother and lifelong teammate since picking up a basketball.

“I just think he's more focused than ever,” Isaiah said of Evan after Monday’s practice. “We know and we're confident that the team is well-rounded this year, and I think that he plays a big role in that. He knows that as well. So he's just trying to fulfill that role.

“He was First Team All-Defense last year, but now going for a DPOY and just really making that impact and force — on this league and on this team — so we can win and hopefully come home with some jewelry.”

Jan 9, 2021; Tempe, AZ, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Isaiah Mobley (3) and brother Evan Mobley (4) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Ordinarily, this would be a lot of pressure for a 22-year-old who hasn’t even played out his rookie contract yet, but Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has no problem mentioning words like “franchise player” and talking up his star potential each season in the public eye.

“The moments don’t grow too large for Evan,” Bickerstaff said last week. “I know we do heap praise on him, but we have a bunch of behind-the-scenes conversations to keep things in perspective. We don’t allow things to get too grand in our conversations because we know there’s steps that can’t be skipped in order to get there.

“So media asks us these types of questions about the finished product, but our conversations are fixed on what you have to do today, what you have to do tomorrow, how you help the team today. Then, you go through that process — and we believe in his talent, his skill set. At the end of the day, that’s when he’s able to look back. But he doesn’t have that jump-ahead mentality. He’s in it every single day because he knows he’s got work to do before he gets to all those things that we believe he can be.”

Evan is coming off an impressive sophomore season where he finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting and took a step forward on offense with his efficiency.

With all of the love he’s getting in the first week of camp, he is thankful.

“It feels great. Having support is always beneficial to your growth,” Mobley said last week. “Knowing your guys have your back. Even if you fail or don't do as well as you want initially, they've got your back and you just keep working. And eventually, you're gonna keep growing.”